Dr. Dan Armstrong

Biography

Dan C. Armstrong is a Professor Emeritus of Percussion Studies at Penn State University, where he served from 1982 to 2020. He has been honored with the Outstanding Teaching Award from the PSU College of Arts and Architecture in 2020. A versatile musician, Dan has made recordings with the Armstrong Flute Percussion Duo and the Grammy-winning Chestnut Brass Company. Additionally, he has performed with the North Texas 1:00 Lab Band and numerous jazz festivals as a drummer with groups like the Tarnished Six Traditional Dixieland Jazz Band. Dan has also collaborated with orchestras and music festivals such as the Dallas Symphony and the San Antonio Symphony, participating in esteemed events including the Aspen and Breckenridge music festivals. He was the Principal Timpanist for thirty-eight seasons with the Altoona Symphony Orchestra and also played the timpanist for the Academy Chamber Orchestra and the Penn’s Woods Music Festival. His early career was significantly influenced by mallet ensembles, and he has organized and conducted various marimba orchestras and festivals throughout his career. He is an artist for Sabian Cymbals and Innovative Percussion, and he holds a Bachelor of Music from the University of North Texas and a Master of Music from the University of Michigan.

Research Interests